Connector and insulating sleeve for spark plug or distributor



R. BAKKER Dec. 19, 1967 CONNECTOR AND INSULATING SLEEVE FOR SPARK PLUGOR DISTRIBUTOR Original Filed Sept. 21, 1964 Inventor R095 Ba/cker 2 WAtlorne'ys United States Patent 5 Claims. (Cl. 339-26) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An electrical connector assembly for mating with and sealingaround a spark plug stem or a female receptacle of a distributor cap.The sealing is accomplished by an insulating sleeve which surrounds theconnector elementand which has a collapsible wall portion and aninwardly directed flexible sealing flange.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 397,932,filed Sept. 21, 1964, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to an insulating sleeve and more particularly toan insulating sleeve for use on a spark plug or a distributor.

Heretofore, there has been provided insulating sleeves for use on sparkplugs in order to safeguard the spark plugs from moisture, soot, dust,oil and any other undesirable environment. While these insulatingsleeves have proved satisfactory, one important drawback that theypossess is that they are not readily adaptable to be used on a sparkplug or a distributor because of the difference in dimensions betweenthe spark plug and the female receptacles of the distributor.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to providean insulating sleeve which can readily be used on a spark plug or afemale receptacle of a dis tributor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insulatingsleeve which is freely flexible and highly elastic to be readilyexpanded and contracted along its axis to adapt it to various sizes ofstandard plugs within the motor block and receptacles on distributors.

According to the present invention, there is provided an insulatingsleeve for use on spark plugs and receptacles of distributors. Thesleeve has a first sealing ring for gripping a lead to be secured to theconnector and a second sealing ring spaced from the first sealing ringaxially of the sleeve for gripping either the exterior surface of thereceptacle of a distributor or the insulator stem of a spark plug. Topermit the connector to be fully inserted into the receptacle of adistributor, the sleeve has a collapsible wall portion located betweenthe sealing rings. The collapsible portion may be a wall portion ofreduced thickness relative to the remainder of the sleeve wall. Thesecond sealing ring may be an internal radial flange formed integrallywith the sleeve.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is notintended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given forpurposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner ofapplying it in practical use so that they may modify it in variousforms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an axial sectional view of a connector having a sleevethereon according to the invention, the

3,359,526 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 connector being shown applied to aspark plug insulator stern; and

FIGURE 2 is an axial sectional view of the connector and sleeve shown inFIGURE 1, the connector being shown applied to a female receptacle of adistributor.

As shown in FIGURE 1 an electrical connector 1 comprises a receptacleportion 2 which receives exposed center electrode 3' in the insulatorstem of a spark plug 3. Connector 1 also has a ferrule portion 4 crimpedabout an electrical lead 5 and making electrical connection with theelectrically-conductive core of lead 5.

An insulating sleeve 6, e.g., of nylon or other suitable flexible andelastic insulating material comprises a first sealing ring 7 tightlyengaging the insulation of lead 5 and a second sealing ring 8 comprisingan internal radial readily-deformable flange formed integrally withsleeve 6, the flange being in sealing engagement with insulating portion9 of the insulator stem of plug 3. The sleeve has a wall portion 10which is thin relative to the remainder of the wall of sleeve 6 and is,thus, readily deformable along its axis so as to assume a collapsedposition with the above wall section disposed toward or adjacent thelower wall section and the inner surface of wall portion 10 approachingor attaining a folded position in accordance with the size spark plug orreceptacle of a distributor that the sleeve is to engage.

As shown in FIGURE 2, connector 1 is received in a female receptacle 11of a distributor cap DC, portion 2 of the connector lying within asleeve-shaped metal contact element 12 within the distributorreceptacle. Sealing ring 8 is in tight sealing engagement with theexterior surface of receptacle 11, and as can be discerned, sealing ring8 is moved away from the axis of the sleeve due to the difference inexternal diameter between portion 9 and receptacle 11, portion 10 of thesleeve being in its collapsed position, i.e., the inner surface of wallportion 10 approaches a folded position, to compensate for the receptionof connector 1 in receptacle 11.

It is preferable that the inside diameter of the wall section aboveportion 10 is less than that of the wall section below portion 10 andthat the thickness of the wall section above portion 10 is slightly lessthan that of the wall section below portion 10. As can be seen, portion10 extends from the inside surface of the wall section above portion 10to the outside surface of the wall section below portion 10 therebydefining a frustum of a cone.

As can be discerned, there has been disclosed a unique and novelinsulating sleeve for use in conjunction with spark plugs andreceptacles of distributor caps.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and otherdesirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasizedthat the particular embodiment of the invention, which is shown anddescribed herein, is intended as merely illustrative and not asrestrictive of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector assembly for mating with a spark plug stem ora female receptacle of a distributor cap, the assembly comprising anelectrical connector arranged resiliently to engage the spark plug stemor to be received in the receptacle to form a connection therewith, aconnection section formed integrally with the connector and beingconnected to the end of an electrical lead, and an insulating sleevesurrounding the connector, the sleeve having a first portion tightlyengaging the lead, a second portion in essentially coaxial and spacedrelationship with the connection between the oonnection section andelectrical lead, a third portion comprising a thin annular flexiblesealing ring formed integrally with said third portion, said sealingring extending inwardly toward an axis of said sleeve and forming anentrance through which said spark plug stem or the distributorreceptacle passes, said sealing ring being spaced from an outer end ofsaid connector, and a fourth portion connecting the second and thirdportions, the fourth portion having a thickness less than that of thesecond and third portions so that the fourth portion is capable of beingcollapsed to permit the connector to be connected with the spark plugstem or the receptacle to form an electrical connection therebetweenWith the sleeve surrounding the connection and the sealing ringsealingly engaging the spark plug stem or the outer surface of thereceptacle.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fourth portion isfrusto-conical as seen in longitudinal section through the sleeve, thefourth portion having a larger diameter end spaced rearwardly of theconnector from a smaller diameter end of the fourth portion.

3. For use with a spark plug securable in a cylinder block of an engineand having an insulator element supported thereby and a terminal mountedthereon engageable by a connector secured on one end of an electricalconductor associated with said spark plug or a receptacle of adistributor cap of said engine engageable by said connector; aninsulating sleeve comprising a first section tightly engageable 'Withsaid electrical conductor adjacent said connector thereof, a secondsection extending outwardly from said first section and along saidconnector and spaced outwardly therefrom, a third section coaxial withsaid first and second sections and having a substantially thininwardly-directed flexible flange integrally formed therewith, saidflange forming an entrance through which said insulator element or saidreceptacle passes, and being axially spaced from an outer end of saidconnector, and a fourth section connecting said second and thirdsections, said fourth section having a thickness less than that of saidsecond and third sections so that said fourth section is collapsiblethereby permitting said sleeve to fit on said spark plug or receptaclewith said flange sealingly engaging said insulator element or saidreceptacle.

4. An insulating sleeve according to claim 3 wherein the inside diameterof said second section is less than that of said third section and thethickness of said second section is slightly less than that of saidthird section.

5. An insulating sleeve according to claim 3 wherein the fourth sectionextends from the inside surface of said second section to the outsidesurface of said third section thereby defining a frusturn of a cone.

No references cited.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR MATING WITH A SPARK PLUG STEM ORA FEMALE RECEPTACLE OF A DISTRIBUTOR CAP, THE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING ANELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ARRANGED RESILIENTLY TO ENGAGE THE SPARK PLUG STEMOR TO BE RECEIVED IN THE RECEPTACLE TO FORM A CONNECTION THEREWITH, ACONNECTION SECTION FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH THE CONNECTOR AND BEINGCONNECTED TO THE END OF AN ELECTRICAL LEAD, AND AN INSULATING SLEEVESURROUNDING THE CONNECTOR, THE SLEEVE HAVING A FIRST PORTION TIGHTLYENGAGING THE LEAD, A SECOND PORTION IN ESSENTIALLY COAXIAL AND SPACEDRELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CONNECTION SECTION ANDELECTRICAL LEAD, A THIRD PORTION COMPRISING A THIN ANNULAR FLEXIBLESEALING RING FORMED INTEGRASLLY WITH SAID THIRD PORTION, SAID SEALINGRING EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD AN AXIS OF SAID SLEEVE AND FORMING ANENTRANCE THROUGH WHICH SAID SPARK PLUG STEM OR THE DISTRIBUTORRECEPTACLE PASSES, SAID SEALING RING BEING SPACED FROM AN OUTER END OFSAID CONNECTOR, AND A FOURTH PORTION CONNECTING THE SECOND AND THIRDPORTIONS, THE FOURTH PORTION HAVING A THICKNESS LESS THAN THAT OF THESECOND AND THIRD PORTIONS SO THAT THE FOURTH PORTION IS CAPABLE OF BEINGCOLLAPSED TO PERMIT